The Key to Success as a Recent College Grad

When you first started college, everything was new to you — but you still knew that college was the key to success. You’d have a regular schedule for classes, they’d all help you reach the degree that you made your ultimate goal, and maybe you worked a few jobs and internships in-between.

Once the end of college starts approaching, you’re faced with trying to figure out what your post-grad life is going to look like. If you’re not looking to attend grad school or take more classes for your specific degree, you’re probably looking for a job that will be the key to success in your career. That can be super stressful if you’re not sure how to do it.

Before you start to worry, read on for some tips so you can figure out how to plan your post-grad life and even find the key to success in climbing the corporate ladder. You’ll feel much better once you have a few new goals in place, and you’ll soon be working hard to check them off your to-do list.

Never Stop Applying

While you’re filling out the form for your first big job application, you’re going to be nervous and excited at the same time. It’ll be thrilling to imagine yourself going through interviews and landing the job, but the process may take more work than you might think.

Some companies take a long time to review their applications and even longer to get through the interview process. It’s in your best interest to apply to multiple jobs every day. Even if you get the chance to interview for one, keep applying.

It’s a good idea to get your name out there and increase your odds of getting a call back. An interview can always fall through at the last minute, so you should never trust that you’ve got a job until you’re signing papers for it.

Never stop applying for jobs after you graduate and your work will pay off in the long run.

Respect the Corporate Ladder

Once you’ve landed a job, you might find yourself in the corporate world. There is a hierarchy to corporate life that you’ll have to learn fast, and it should always have your respect. Understanding how your new life works is the first step to making it successful.

A great thing to do is always have it at the forefront of your mind to exceed their expectations. If you schedule a meeting, have it set up with drinks ready for their guest. Ask them if they need any help at the end of the day before you leave. The little things will make a big difference.

One way to keep kindness from looking like insincerity on your way up the ladder is to monitor your body language. Crossing your arms while your boss talks to you will send a much different message than head nodding and note-taking.

Be aware of what your body language is projecting while you’re building relationships at work.

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Always Think of What’s Next

You might end up loving your first job right out of college. You could end up somewhere that will open doors for you to work on things you’re passionate about, with people you enjoy being around.

Don’t take that for granted if it happens to you, but always consider how your job is helping you get to what’s next.

Is the work you’re doing teaching you anything? Is it building your resume or your character, or is it getting you experience you’ll need for where you want to go next?

Try not to get consumed with the busywork of life, since it could keep your career from growing how you want it to grow.

A skill that every person new to the career world should know is how to maximize your work with less time. Multitasking and time management seem like small details you feel like you’ve already learned in college, but you can never really stop improving them.

Work on them to see how your job will benefit so you’re always doing work that’s meaningful to you and your company.

Success Is Right Around the Corner

Having success as a recent grad is all about how much effort you put into changing your life. Actively apply for jobs until you finally land one — and then keep your career goals in mind while you use correct body language and time management skills to build relationships at work.

Success is right around the corner for anyone who puts their mind to work and doesn’t lose steam along the way.

Kayla Matthews writes Productivity Theory and is constantly seeking to provide new tips and hacks to keep you motivated and inspired! You can also find her on Huffington Post and Tiny Buddha, and follow her on Google+ and Twitter to stay up to date on her latest productivity posts!